Deliverance in Trouble
’ Coil upon me in the day of trouble; I -will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” — Ps. 1. 15.
How varied are our days of trouble I Sickness, with its hours of restlessness and langour. Bereavement with its rifled treasures and aching hearts. Loss of substance — the curtailment or forfeiture of worldly possessions — riches taking to themselves wings and fleeing away; or, severer than all, the woundings of friends — abused confidence — withered affections — hopes scattered like the leaves of autumn!
But “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Tried one I He leaves not thy defenceless head unsheltered in the storm — “Call upon ME!” He invites thee into the pavilion of His own presence! Better the bitter Marah waters lf ith His healing, than the purest fountain of the world and no God! Better the hottest furnace flames with one there “like the Son of God,” than that the dross should be suffered to accumulate, and the soul left to cleave to the dust! He, “the Purifier of silver,” is seated by these flames tempering their furj: “Yea, he gives the special promise, I will deliver theey It may not be the deliverance we expect; the deliverance we have prayed for; the deliverance we could have wished. But shall not the sorest trial be well worth enduring, if this be the result of his chastening love — “Thou shalt glorify me ‘’Glorify Him!” How? By a simple unreasoning faith — by meek, lowly, unmurmuring acquiescence in His dealings; — these dealings endearing the Saviour and His grace more than ever to our hearts.
The Day of trouble led His saints in all ages thus to glorify Him. David never could have written his touching Psalms, nor Paul his piecious Epistles, had not God cast them both into the crucible. To be the teachers of the Church of the future, they had to graduate in the school of affliction. If He be appointing us similar discipline, let it be our endeavor to glorify Him by active obedience, as well as by passive resignation; not abandoning ourselves to selfish, moody, sentimental grief; but rather going forth on our great mission — our work and warfare — with a vaster estimate of the value of time, and the grandeur of existence.
“Give glory to the Lord your God before He cause darkness; and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains; and, while ye look for light. He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness!”